Everything Changes
by Natsuko-Lissa
Summary: InuYasha makes an all too common choice between Kikyo and Kagome, and everything falls apart.


**A/N: Hey, I'm sorry about the repost, but when FanFiction screwed up, my story was screwed up too... Besides I need more people to review and tell me what they think I should do next, a full story, or a short 2-3 chapter thing. Okay, well read and review!**

**My Immortal**

I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

Cause your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone

**InuYasha stopped running abruptly, causing the girl on his back to "oomph" as her breath was temporarily knocked out of her and eliciting an "InuYasha? What are you doing, it's still up a ways." He could smell her nearby, and he didn't know what to do. Kagome was right here with him, but Kikyo was in the forest a short ways away. He heard the monk speak up quietly, but firmly, "What are you going to do, InuYasha? There's a jewel shard up ahead, but Kikyo is closer." **

**InuYasha let his gaze travel to the skies and saw it littered with Kikyo's soul catchers and knew what he was going to do. He had to go to her; it wasn't even much of a choice. He was brought back to reality at something struggling against his back, and he realized that he was still holding onto Kagome. She pushed on his shoulders and slid off of him, not looking back at him once as she walked over to climb onto Kilala with the others. As she did she said to him, still not facing him, "InuYasha, go to her. The demon that has the jewel shard isn't very strong. Even though it does have a jewel shard, we can handle it alone." **

**With that they left InuYasha to decide for himself, as they continued on their way, the subtle scent of Kagome's tears still lingering in the air. _She's right. I can tell that it's a weak demon, but I don't think that's all that her statement meant. 'We can handle it alone.' I hurt her, because she knew. She knew, but she understood._ InuYasha shook his head for a moment, before starting after the soul catchers.**

**He stopped when he came into the clearing, and found Kikyo laying bleeding, her soul catchers bringing her souls so that she could heal herself. The sight of her in normal circumstances made him want to cry. Knowing what they could have had had they just trusted each other a little more. But the sight of her like this, dying slowly, made him feel as though he were dying, too.**

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time can not erase

**InuYasha smelled the cause of Kikyo's distress nearby and drew his Tetsusaiga, standing between her and her threat. Kagura walked out of the trees and laughed at this when she saw him. "InuYasha, I should have known. You can't resist when it comes to Kikyo, can you. Even if it puts others at risk." **

**Kagura laughed when InuYasha's eyes widened and his face sobered realizing that he might have put Kagome and the others in danger, too. "Not that it matters anyway, InuYasha. You can't save her." With a flick of her fan, Kagura slaughtered all of Kikyo's soul catchers and InuYasha's face took on a panicked expression. Without them, he knew that she would not be able to heal herself. InuYasha lunged at the wind demon, but she merely drew a feather out of her hair and drifted away, her voice barely audible to his demon ears, "Give up InuYasha, she died a long time ago. You could never save her."**

**InuYasha sheathed his sword and dropped to his knees beside Kikyo. She opened her eyes and InuYasha reached over, grabbing her hand. There was so much pain in her gaze, that he didn't know what he could do to help her. He sat there with her, holding her hand until her eyes closed and her breathing stopped. InuYasha's anguished cry of "KIKYO!!!" could be heard throughout the forest. He collapsed and began crying, and pulled her lifeless body to his.**

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me

**InuYasha vaguely registered the approach of another demon, but he knew it was only Kilala, so he took no heed. He just held onto her cold, dead body, hoping that if he loved her enough, she might come back to him. Even when he felt a hand on his shoulder, he did nothing. He wouldn't let go. He wouldn't give up. It wasn't fair, she didn't deserve to die like this, again. Slowly, he registered the soothing voice of the monk speaking to him.**

**InuYasha shook off his hand and picked Kikyo up, holding her to his body and saying bluntly, "I'm taking her back home." He then turned and quickly roved his eyes over the monk, and the demon exterminator. He saw the huddled form of Kagome in the slayer's arms and looked away. He knew that she was crying, he could smell it, but he also smelt Kikyo's blood, and it hardened his resolve. He would talk to Kagome later. InuYasha leapt away, taking his bundle back to her village, as fast as his half-demon legs would take him. **

**He knew that he was moving faster than Kilala would be able to keep up with, but they knew where he was going if they wanted to follow. He arrived at the village and walked into Kaede's hut without bothering to knock. The old priestess looked up at him, surprised, and then to Kikyo's body and lowered her head. She stood and walked from the hut, InuYasha in tow, and lead him to Kikyo's gravesite. **

**After laying her to rest again, InuYasha stayed and sat by the newly formed mound on the ground, thinking about Kikyo. He looked up when he saw Kilala land, but didn't move to greet them. He could see them some distance away, but he didn't want to talk to anybody right now. He watched as the monk got off, then the demon exterminator. He watched as Shippou jumped onto the monk's shoulder, and they all watched as Kagome slowly lowered herself off of Kilala.**

**InuYasha thought about what he would say to her the next time that they talked. It would be hard, for both of them. A lot of things were going to change. He didn't know how long it would be before he was able to be around Kagome now, with Kikyo being gone. Kagome reminded him of Kikyo every time that he looked at her. He had decided already that when he did talk to her, which would be soon, he was going to ask her to go home. He couldn't handle it right now. He didn't want to have to remember Kikyo, and her death, everyday.**

****

You used to captivate me by your resonating light

Now I'm bound by the life you left behind

Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams

Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me

****

**He stood up, deciding the sooner the better and slowly began walking towards them. He was angry that Kagome was still crying. It made this so much harder, but it had to be done. He put on a hard face and took up a brisker pace, only to stop dead in his tracks, all thoughts gone, as he saw her eyes roll up into her head and Kagome to fall forward onto the ground. **

**InuYasha quickly ran to her to see what was wrong, and noticed that the whole back of her uniform was covered in blood. Kagome was dying, right in front of him. Another woman was dying because of him. Another woman he cared about.**

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time can not erase

**InuYasha picked her up and carried her to Kaede's hut, laying her down gently on a bed of straw. He then rushed out to Miroku and grabbed him by the robes and yelled as loud as he could. "What happened to her, Miroku?!" "Calm yourself, InuYasha." "I am not going to calm myself, Monk, Kagome is in there dying, now what the hell happened?!"**

**InuYasha felt a hand gently touch his shoulder and spun around, expecting to see Kagome there, ready to sit him for his violence on the monk, but instead found himself face-to-face with a saddened demon exterminator. "Do you want the truth InuYasha?" Sango walked into Kaede's hut and sat watching over her fallen friend, and was soon followed by InuYasha. Miroku remained outside with Shippou, trying to calm the frantic pup down.**

"**InuYasha, it was a scorpion demon that we fought. It was fairly strong, but we could handle it just fine without you. Kagome was merely distracted in a crucial moment. It's not your fault, the demon just lunged for her when she turned her back to it." Sango kept her eyes on Kagome the entire time, and InuYasha got the feeling that she was hiding something from him.**

"**Why did she turn her back on the demon, Sango. I know that she can be a dunce sometimes, but Kagome's been in enough battles to know not to turn her back on a demon. What in the hell would make her turn her back to it?" InuYasha was trying his hardest to keep quiet and not disturb the sleeping girl. Not that he needed worry, as Sango glanced at him and then quickly lowered her eyes, and then returned them to Kagome, he found himself unable to speak.**

**_It was me? How did I distract her? I was with Kikyo, Kikyo was dying, the only thing that I did was stay by her side. There is no way that they are going to blame this on me._ InuYasha got to his feet with his customary "feh" and turned to leave the hut. When he exited, he looked up to feel the sun on his face.**

**His reverie was interrupted by the shrill shout of a young fox cub. "I hate you, InuYasha! If you hadn't yelled out Kikyo's name, Kagome wouldn't be hurt! You-" Shippou was cut off by Miroku's hand covering his mouth, but the damage had been done. InuYasha remembered then, he screamed out Kikyo's name. He had gotten Kagome's attention, because she had to have known. She had to feel the rest of her soul return to her. She had heard his sadness and turned to him, leaving herself open for the hit.**

**All the blood drained from InuYasha's face and he fell to his knees. He may as well have attacked her himself. He quickly stood and took off into the forest, leaving behind a worried monk, and a still fuming fox cub.**

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me

**InuYasha flew through the forest, hoping that his legs could outrun his guilt and sorrow. He stopped when he reached the God tree and jumped up into the lowest branch. _I promised that I would always protect her. I promised her everything, and now..._ InuYasha stopped his train of thought when he realized that he wasn't sure who he was talking about.**

**He had promised to protect them both, and now Kikyo was dead, and Kagome was dying. Kikyo had died because he had been unable to protect her, and while that hurt him deeply, it was worse with Kagome. Kagome was dying because he had _chosen_ not to protect her. He had broken his promise to both of them, but he had willingly broken it to Kagome. _And she's the one that would probably forgive me. She's the clumsiest, kindest, most obnoxious and most open-hearted person I've ever met. I think that's why I love her._**

**InuYasha started at his realization and tears formed themselves in his eyes. He hadn't even noticed it happen. He loved Kagome. More than he had ever loved Kikyo. Kikyo had treated him kindly when no one else ever had, but she had still treated him differently. Kagome treated him no differently than she would if he was full demon or full human. She accepted everything about him without question. And he loved her so much for that.**

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone

But though you're still with me

I've been alone all along

**InuYasha felt a single tear slip down his cheek as he thought of his Kikyo. Of her life before Naraku. She had been a pure-hearted priestess who had wanted to have a normal life, but had not been allowed. She had sensed a kindred spirit in InuYasha and befriended him.**

**But as good as she was, she had never accepted him. He would have had to become human for her to be with him. He wouldn't be happy being a human, even if he was with Kikyo, and he wasn't afraid to admit that now. Demon was what he was, even if it was just half.**

**He had never been accepted by anybody, and he had just been confused by Kikyo's lack of hatred towards him. He had wanted to believe that she didn't care that he was a half-demon, but it wasn't true. He had never known true acceptance until he met Kagome.**

**Kikyo was gone. She had tried to heal some of his wounds, and she had been a good woman. But she died. Fifty years ago. Kagome was still here, even if just barely. He would go back to her. He would stay with her like she would him. He would not let the two women of his life die on the same day. **

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me

**InuYasha jumped down from his branch in the tree, intent upon returning to the village. He stopped, delicately tasting the air with his nose and recognizing the scent. He ran as fast as he could to it. _She's going to get herself killed! She should be in resting not wandering through the forest. _**

**InuYasha's thought stopped as he entered a clearing and found Kagome slumped on the ground in the center. InuYasha held his breath, and listened intently, releasing it when he recognized the sound of Kagome's heartbeat. _Good, she's still alive, but her heartbeat is weak, I need to get her back._**

**InuYasha started towards her and helped her when she tried to stand. There were tears running down her face and pain in her eyes. She let out one strained word and InuYasha's heart froze. "Inu... Yasha..." Kagome slumped in his arms and InuYasha felt a now familiar panic as Kagome lay close to death in his arms.**


End file.
